CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE SACRAMENTO REGION

Sacramento feels the effects of climate change in a variety of ways, including threats to public health, ecosystems, and the economy. These impacts are not evenly distributed: climate change compounds the effects of decades of disinvestment, greater exposure to pollution, and other existing inequities affecting people of color and low-income communities. 

The following resources provide more information on how climate change impacts the Sacramento region.

California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment 
California’s Climate Change Assessments contribute to the scientific foundation for understanding climate-related vulnerability and opportunities for resilience at the local scale, while also informing State policies to safeguard California from climate change. See the Statewide Summary Report and the Sacramento Valley Regional Report for summaries of climate impacts in the Sacramento region. 

Cal-Adapt
Cal-Adapt is a mapping and data visualization tool that uses results from the most recent California Climate Change Assessment to show how climate change may affect California.

National Climate Assessment
The National Climate Assessment summarizes the impacts of climate change on the United States, now and in the future. A team of more than 300 experts guided by a 60-member Federal Advisory Committee produced the report, which was extensively reviewed by the public and experts, including federal agencies and a panel of the National Academy of Sciences. See Report Highlights for a summary.

Capital Region Urban Heat Island Mitigation Project
The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District and the Local Government Commission led the Capital Region Urban Heat Island Mitigation Project. The Project examines the urban heat island effect the Sacramento and provides recommendations to mitigate extreme heat.

NASA Analysis of Extreme Heat & Social Vulnerability in Sacramento
As part of the 2040 General Plan update process, NASA evaluated urban heat issues in the City at a highly localized scale, with data available at the census tract-level.  

American River Basin Study
The American River Basin Study examines how future climate conditions may impact water resources in the American River watershed and evaluates adaptive water management strategies. See this presentation for a summary.